RALEIGH – Thirteen municipalities from across the state will receive assistance with bicycle and pedestrian planning, thanks to grants awarded this fall by the N.C. Department of Transportation.
The NCDOT Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning Grant program, now in its nineteenth year, helps North Carolina communities develop a comprehensive strategy for expanding bicycle and pedestrian facilities, and improving the safety of our transportation network for all users.
Recipients this year include:
- The City of Belmont (pedestrian plan update)
- The Town of Burnsville (joint bicycle/pedestrian plan)
- The Town of Catawba (joint bicycle/pedestrian plan)
- The Town of Franklinton (joint bicycle/pedestrian plan)
- The Town of Garner (pedestrian plan)
- The Town of Hayesville (joint bicycle/pedestrian plan)
- The City of Hendersonville (pedestrian plan update)
- The Town of Jamestown (joint bicycle/pedestrian plan)
- The Town of Lake Waccamaw (joint bicycle/pedestrian plan)
- The City of Mount Airy (pedestrian plan update)
- The Town of Nashville (joint bicycle/pedestrian plan)
- The Town of Shallotte (joint bicycle/pedestrian plan)
- The City of Wilmington (pedestrian plan update)
The planning grant initiative is jointly sponsored by the NCDOT Integrated Mobility Division and the Transportation Planning Division. To date, more than $7.5 million has been awarded for 244 plans in 238 municipalities and six counties through this grant program.
These plans have generated approximately 500 projects submitted for funding in the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP), which are evaluated through the Strategic Transportation Investments (STI) program using a data driven approach. Ninety-two projects funded in the 2020-2029 STIP were identified through one of these plans.
Plans funded are not for one specific project, but represent a comprehensive strategy for expanding bicycle and pedestrian opportunities within a given municipality. These plans address facilities, programs and policies that encourage safe walking and bicycling.